Tongue switch



April 18, 1933. l, K D|XON 1,904,206

TONGUE vSWITCH Filed Nov.l 24, `1931 2 sheets-sheet 1 fsraelKjxa/L ATTO R N EY April 18, 1933. l. K. DIXON 1,904,206

TONGUE SWITCH Filed Nov. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. is, i933 UNITED STATESy PATENT FFEC TONG'UE SWITCH Application led November 24, 1931. Serial No. 577,069.

This invention relates to improvements in tongue switches and aims to provide a holddown device which exerts its pressure at the pivotal point of oscillation of the tongue or the center of the holding device.` The invention aims to provide detailed improvements in construction, design and arrangement of the parts and will be fully apparent from the following specification when read m connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which zl Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tongue switch embodying the invention with portions broken away and shown in section in the interest of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

, y Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. `Referring in detail to the drawings, 10

represents a switch body forming a pivotal support for a switch tongue 12, the latter i havinga heel portion 14 which is journalled in a bearing portion 16 of the switch body. vAs best shown in Fig. 2, the heel is formed with a transversely extending aperture 17. The bearing portion 16 of the switch body l' N30 is similarly apertured, as indicated at 18`and 20. Y A rocker 22 is supported within the apertured part of the heel tongue, this rocker being of substantially diamond shape, the low- I er point of the diamond being fulcrumed on a seat 24 formed within the heel. The rocker 22 has wedge faces 26 and`f28 which coact,

respectively, with wedge portions of mem-y bers 30 and 32 carried by a bo-lt'34 extending 40 transversely throughk the heel 14 and theV bearing portion 16 of the switch body, as shown. The members 30 and 32 slidingly engage a yoke member 36. This yoke serves the important function of holding the parts i 45.. in proper position for assembling and preable chiefiy so that the parts may be removed or assembled as a unit. v

The bolt 34 has a headed end 40 which projects into a chamber 42 which is normally covered by a plate 44. When the plate is removed, access may be had to the bolt head,

the same may be turned by a suitable wrench.

Such turning of the bolt, it willV be understood, will draw up the nut 32, the latter beingthreaded, as clearly shown in the draw- 0 ings.V The drawing up on the bolt will of course tend to cause the members 30 and 32 to approach one another'. In this approach, they ride up on the. wedge surfaces 26 and r 28. At this time, the outerportions 46 and 'L69 48 press against the surfaces 50 and 52 `of the switch body and of course the rocker 22 presses downwardly on the seat 24, thus resulting in forcing the lower bearing face 52 of the heel of the tongue firmly against the seat 54. It will be manifest that the design and arrangement of the parts is such that the holdingdown force is exerted substantially at the exact center line or pivotal axis of oscillation of the heelof the tongue. The design and arrangement is such that the parts can all be removed as a unit and can also all be inserted as a unit at the time of original assembly. For such ready insertion and removal, the box portion 42a of the switchl body vis apertured, as indicated at 56.

The rocker 22, wedges 30 and 32, bolt 34 andyolre 36 may or may not move slightly `with the movement of the switch tongue.

When the rocker is lfitted in the shallow re# cessed seat 24 in the heel of the switch tongue, Vnaturally the movement of the tongue will transmit a turning torque to the roclrerand related parts and the width of the slots 18 and 2O will permit a limited movement. But the lrocker could bear on a flat ora ball-like seat a seat portion 64'formed at the lower part ofV the switch heel. The members 58 and 60 contact along an inclined plane 66 in order that they may be wedgingly engaged with one another. The member 58 is provided with an upstanding lug 68, whic-h has threaded therethrough a bolt 70, whose inner extremity bears against the wedge member 60. The upper end of the lug 68, bears on a projection 72 carried by the cover plate Lilla. In this design of the device, it will be understood that when the bolt 70 is turned up the upper face of the wedge will press against the bearing surfaces 74 and 76 of the switch body and because of the wedge-like engagement between the members 60 and 58, the force exerted by the bolt will be resolved in part to a vertical force acting downwardly on the fulcrum seat 62 formed on the switch heel, thus tending to firmly hold the heel of the switch on its bearing seat.

While I have described quite precisely the design and construction of the arrangements herein illustrated, the detailed description and drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense and the claims are to be construed as broadly as is consistent with the teachings of the prior art.

What I claim is l. A switch comprising a switch body, a tongue having a. heel ournalled therein and whose lower surface bears on a seat formed in the journal portion of said. switch body and a hold down device extending transversely through the tongue and making a bearing contact with spaced portions of theV switch body on opposite sides of the axis of oscillation of the tongue heel and pressing against the central axial portion of said heel.

2. A switch comprising a switch body, a journal forming part thereof and including a tongue seat, spaced bearing surfaces on opposite sides of the vertical axis of said journal, a switch tongue having a heel engaging said journal and seat, and an expansible hold down device extending transversely through said tongue, one part of said device reacting against the central or axial portion of said tongue and other parts reacting against said spaced bearing surfaces.

3. A switch comprising a switch body, a journal forming part thereof and including a tongue seat, spaced bearing surfaces on opposite sides of the vertical axis of saidjournal, a switch tongue having a heel engaging said journal and seat, and an expansible hold down device, comprising complementary wedge members, means for moving them relatively to one another whereby part of said device reacts against said bearing surfaces and one of said wedge members reacts against the central part of said tongue so as to press it against said seat.

4. A switch comprising a switch body, a journal forming part thereof and including a tongue sea-t, spaced bearing surfaces on opposite sides of the vertical axis of said jour* nal, a switch tongue having a heel engaging said journal and seat, and an expansible hold down device, which is removable as a unit from the switch structure comprising a rocker, a pair of wedges coacting therewith, means for moving the wedges relatively to the rocker, the heel of the tongue having a fulcrum portion for the rocker and said wedges reacting against said spaced bearing surfaces.

5. A switch comprising a switch body, a journal forming part thereof and including a tongue seat, spaced bearing surfaces on opposite sides of the vertical axis of said journal, a switch tongue having a vheel engaging said journal and seat, and an expansible hold down device comprising lcoacting wedge members, adjustable meansfor moving them relatively to one another, said wedge members reacting on the spaced bearing surfaces and against thecentral part of said tongue, and tending to press the latter against said seat.

6. A switch of the character describedcomprising a switch body, a movable tongue having a heel journalled in the body, whose lower .surface bears on a seat formed in the journal portion of the body, spaced bearing surfaces, an expansible hold down device, some' parts of which engage said spaced bearing surfaces and other parts of which engage the central portion of said tongue, and adjustable means for expanding said hold down device.

7. A switch of the character described including a body, a tongue having a heel journalled therein and whose lower surface bears on the seat formed in a journal portion of Said Switch body, and ahold down device for said tongue comprising a rocker -fulcrumed substantially axially of said heel, spaced wedges coacting with wedge portions formed on said rocker, means for moving said wedges relatively to said rocker, a yokeV operatively associated with said wedges, and means for retaining said rocker in operative relationship with said wedges whereby the wedges, rocker, yoke and wedge operating means can be inserted and removed as a unit.

8. A switch of the character described comprising a switch body having a journal portion and a tongue seat, a tongue having a.

heel journalled therein, whose lower surface bears on the seat, spaced bearing surfaces on the switch body and a hold Idown device comprising one wedge member engaging both bearing surfaces, another wedge member coacting therewith and engaging the central part of said heel, said wedge members extending transversely through the tongue and means for moving one of said wedge members relatively to the other.

9. A switch of the character described comprising a body having a journal portion and a heel seat, a tongue journalled therein having a heel engaging sai-d seat, spaced bearing surfaces on the switch body, a hold down device bridging Said bearing surfaces and extending through said tongue, said hold down device including a rocker fulcrumed axially of the tongue and Wedge members coacting with oppositely inclined faces formed on the rocker and a bolt extending loosely through one of said Wedge members and having a screw threaded engagement with the other wedge member.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed l my name.

ISRAEL K. DIXON. 

